Today is my first day of "no facebook" and "no pinterest." Yep, you read that right. Yesterday, I decided to give them up for a while. I'm sure you've all been hearing about what people are giving up for Lent or perhaps deciding what you will give up yourself. I am not Catholic and have not ever given up anything for Lent. However, I got to thinking about it with seeing everyone's statuses and posts. I really like the concept of making a sacrifice to remind myself of the ultimate sacrifice God made for me when He sent His only Son to die on the cross for my sins.
It didn't take me long to start feeling God telling me exactly what to give up. Personally, I felt that I should give up something that eats up my time...something that I spend time doing instead of spending time with God. Enter facebook and pinterest. I am on facebook way too much. It is such easy access because of the app on my phone. Whenever there's a dull moment, click on the app. Same goes for pinterest. Guess what app I have right beside my facebook app and my pinterest app? A bible app. I hate to think of how many times I have gone to the facebook or pinterest app instead of the bible app. It is truly shameful.
Not only do these things eat up my time but they also tend to, at times, fill my mind with negative thoughts. Facebook is drama city. Everyone is a little braver and bolder. I know lots of things about people that I really don't need to know and wouldn't know if not for facebook. I sometimes get angry because of what people post. I am often tempted to argue with posts I disagree with....although I usually refrain from doing so. At times, facebook has been an outlet for people to post hateful things about people I know and love....which has caused me heartache and stress. Yet time after time, I am choosing it over God. How does it make sense to continue choosing something that often elicits negative feelings within over the encouragement, strength, hope, and love God provides? It doesn't. Not one bit of sense.
Now, I don't think facebook is the root of all evil. Most often, facebook provides me with a social outlet and that is important since I stay home and can feel isolated at times. I also have lots of wonderful facebook friends who make the sweetest comments about Holden and this blog and other random things and I love all of those comments and compliments. They are encouraging and uplifting and I truly appreciate each one. I enjoy staying in touch with people that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to stay in touch with. I love looking at all of the pictures of engagements, marriages, pregnancies, babies, etc. That part is not going to be fun to give up. I am afraid that I may get lonely and feel very isolated from the lack of socialization. However, I think having those feelings are proof that I'm giving up the right thing. I want to depend on God to fill those "holes." I want and need to depend on HIS encouragement and I want to have a clearer mind and heart to focus on what HE has to tell me. I need to rely on Him more than myself or others.
Of course, I couldn't just give up facebook. Don't want to do anything half way. ;) Immediately after posting on facebook that I would be taking a break from it and pinterest until after Easter, I was regretting it. I was kicking myself for giving up both. Couldn't I have just given up one?! But almost as immediately as those thoughts entered...I could hear God saying, "Uhhhh....seriously, Beth Ann? I DIED a horrible death for you and you can't give up two forms of social media?" Point taken.
I have chosen to keep blogging because I want to continue documenting our lives and because I hope to continue to use it as a form of encouragement for others. Many blogs I read encourage and inspire me in my walk with God which is a good thing....and my hope always is that God uses me and this blog to do the same for others.
I read
this article last night and this part really resonates with me:
A lot of people ask how giving up something like chocolate or soda can help your relationship with Jesus. It’s simple, really. We are supposed to love Jesus above all else; and as Christians, we want to love Jesus above all else. So we practice. We practice by refusing ourselves some lesser good—not because enjoying that lesser good is wrong, but because by refusing that lesser good, we are showing and increasing our love for He that is the greatest good. If we don’t practice saying no to ourselves and to lesser goods, then our prayer becomes empty. I can’t truly say that I love God more than anything if I’m unable to do something as simple as giving up dessert as an act of love for Him.
This is something that is going to be hard for me to do without but I feel like I am doing what God wants me to do and that is a great feeling. I trust that God will bless me during this time and I am excited about depending more on Him.
I'll keep you posted. ;)
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| ...because what's a post without a picture of my SWEET boy? :) |
